Change It All
by Vera Vivian
Summary: Please meet Kathleene Marie Talismi. Or Kat. She grew up with the marauders. She loved Sirius. She lived until the age of 39. She was a member of the Order and an auror to boot. So what happens when she sent back to the age of 17 and can Change It All.
1. Chapter 1

Kathleene Marie Talismi bowed her head in grief. She sat on the cold hard ground in front of a twin grave which read,

_Remus and Nymphadora 'Tonks' Lupin_

_A loving husband and wife._

_They fought so that the world might be _

_safe for others._

_May they rest in peace._

Tears filled her eyes. She managed to whisper through her shaking sobs, "Is this what I'm

left to do? Watch my friends die around me?" First had been Lily and Harry, supposedly safe. Next had been Peter, or so she had thought, and Sirius's betrayal. Sirius, the one she loved, Sirius the trustworthy, Sirius the constant, Sirius the **dog**. She thought the last part with a laugh, a choked laugh. However, she had been left to find that it had been Peter's betrayal and Sirius was innocent. She got him back but only had him taken away again through death. Than, the final battle, in which so many died. So many innocent laying dead on the ground, lights flashing everywhere, Voldermort's laugh echoing throughout the castle. She still had nightmares. She still hadn't been able to return to Hogwarts, even for the memorial.

Her last friend left alive, Moony, had left her. With him had gone sweet, obtuse, Tonks, leaving behind a son not even a year old. "Where was God in all this?" She asked brokenly.

There was no God. God wouldn't have let all the innocent die, God wouldn't have let all the good fall, God wouldn't have put anyone through this hell. And as her one last constant belief broke from her she drew her wand and pointed it to her own head.

"_Avada Kavadra_." She whispered and fell to the ground with the flash of a sickly green light.

There was a moment of white-ness and than a voice began calling her name, "Miss Talisimi, Miss Talismi, my dear, you're safe. Wake up. You're safe."

Her eyes fluttered open, she knew this place, Hogwarts Infirmary. In front of her stood a younger Dumbledore, much as she remembered him from her school days, with an equally younger Poppy at his side. So this was death? She mused. Hogwarts. Well, it wasn't too bad she supposed.

"Welcome back dear." Dumbledore said.

Back? What was back? She saw her wand on her bedside table and snatched it, holding it ready she pointed it at Dumbledore. Were their death eaters in death? She'd better check.

"Prove who you are." She ordered. Her years as an auror and devotion to the Order of the Phoenix putting confidence in being followed in her tone.

"I am Professor Albus Dumbledore of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have a phoenix named Fawks. The first thing you said to me was, 'nice suit,' but I do not believe you were being entirely serious." He watched be carefully from behind his half moon spectacles and than asked, "Need I go on?"

"I had to check." She replied. She carefully conducted an evaluation of her body. Except for the faint ache in her limbs, she felt fine.

She stood up quickly and gripped the bedside stand waiting for her equilibrium to return.

She stretched her arms out and rolled her shoulders, ignoring the stares she was getting from Albus and Poppy.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing!" Exclaimed Poppy.

Kathleene sighed, "Relax Poppy, I think the 18 years I spent as an auror would allow me to evaluate myself...Even if I am dead." She added in afterthought.

Poppy looked flustered and managed to squeak, "18 years? How on earth do you get 18 ye–" She broke off mid sentence and than looked sharply and asked, "Dead?"

"My dear," Kathleene looked up sharply at younger Albus, "You're not dead."

"Poppycock!" Her loud exclamation startled the headmaster and nurse, "Of course I'm dead! You're here. I saw you're dead body myself, your prearranged death by Snape! Of course I'm dead and I'd be fool to believe you! Don't know how exactly Poppy got her, saw her a week ago when she was checking in on me. Must've been death eaters." Now Kathleene was musing aloud.

"Miss Talismi." Dubledore broke in sharply, most likely musing if something had happened to her mind. "You are not dead." He said firmly. "You have been missing for a month and yesterday you turned up, unconscious in the entrance in front of the Great Hall with a cut on your temple. The cut mas made by a curse of dark magic and I didn't believe it had any effect on you until now."

"I am not crazy!" She exclaimed. "I lived 39 years of my life! I watched the war seemingly end, only to find Voldermort return and the war become worst than I had ever seen before!" She spat, "I watched as each of my friends **died**, one by one. I saw the innocents, brutally tortured and murdered by Voldermort's followers. I spent 18 years as an auror and devoted member to **your** Order of the Pheonix. I protected Harry Potter for 16 years after James and Lily were **murdered**. The only hope of the wizarding world resided in that boy and I fought damn well to help him against those **filthy murderers**! So don't you **DARE** Albus Dumbledore accuse me of going crazy. I have seen far too much to simply give up and go insane. Because I swear, **Merlin help me**, that I wish I could've imagined the **years** that happened. I **wish** it was all simply one **bloody nightmare**!"

Silence hung in the air and Dumbledore prodded at her mind to try to see the truth of what had happened to her. But as soon as he merely touched her mind he found the rock hard walls of any long term auror who was any good at what they did.

"Don't invade my mind Albus, it's rude." He didn't jump or start, but she didn't expect him to. "At least ask permission."

At this, Poppy snorted. But Dumbledore looked into her eyes and watched her, as if trying to decide whether to believe her tale or not.

"Miss Talismi, would you please allow me to glance over some of your own selected memories in order for me to be able to handle the situation appropriately?"

"Well, since you said please..." Kathleene said with only a touch of sarcasm in her voice. Dumbledore felt her barrier drop quickly and he delved into her mind.

Flashing before his eyes was Kathleene's life. The prophecy. Lily and Jame's murder. Peter's supposed death and Sirius's supposed betrayal. Harry surviving the curse and being brought to his Aunt and Uncle's. The watchful eye she kept on Harry over the years. The righting of Sirius's name. Her years fighting every dark force and creature she could find. Sirius's death. Dumbledore's death. The final battle. Remus and Tonk's deaths. Her killing Peter Pettigrew. Her committing suicide in the grave yard.

All of this flashed by in about 15 minutes. When Dumbledore pulled out of her mind her walls went up instantly. Dumbledore stumbled and sat down on the bed next to hers. Something she had never seen him do. "Merlin." He whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Merlin." He whispered_.

"So, I'm really not dead?" She asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Poppy was just looking between the two confused and so the headmaster decided to answer her, "No. From what I've gathered you were allowed a chance to live through it once and when you attempted to commit suicide you were sent back to your seventh year."

The normal twinkle in his eyes was gone, instead, replace by a rare and calculating look. "Poppy," He addressed the infirmary nurse seriously, "Miss Talismi and I are going to converse in my study. We are not to be disturbed."

She looked as if she wanted to protest, but seeing the out of place seriousness on the headmaster's face, she nodded.

Very gently Kathleene rose, Albus looped her arm through his and escorted her to the door.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, she quickly took out her wand and tapped a Disillusionment Charm on the two of them. "Just as a precaution. I don't really know how I would answer any questions."

He nodded and than realized she really couldn't see him and murmured, "Of course."

Carefully, Albus Dumbledore eased the young witch into a plush armchair he had transfigured. After seeing her memories he believed her without even the slightest doubt. He reached into his desk and pulled out a several chocolate frogs.

"Chocolate?" He offered.

He watched as she leaned forward in a daze and seemed to unwrap it without even thinking. As he observed her he noted her changes. The once innocent witch who was somewhat shy but almost always cheerful was gone. It wasn't in her appearance that he noticed the changes, although her appearance had changed some. No, it was in her eyes. Once innocent and wide were now calculating as the hardest of aurors. They were eyes that had seen too much.

She seemed to realize she was being watched and shifted uncomfortably. She fidgeted in the chair and than seemed to twirl her wand nervously, at last she spoke, "Albus?"

He chuckled and responded, "I assume we were on first name basis."

A faint red tinted her cheeks and than she hardened her gaze and sat upright, her nervousness gone, "Yes, as a active member of the order, we saw each other frequently. Eventually, I grew tired of you addressing me as a student and demanded you call me Kathleene or Kat. You told me to address you as Albus. You were a great mentor of mine, and even friend." She paused now, as in thought, and than continued, "It's bloody weird, knowing that none of it has happened yet. Knowing what I know and how things could play out to be. Having our friendship non existent. The boys still young and unknowing of the cruelties of the world. Of betrayal."

"I can see how hard it would be," He replied, "To know all these things, to have lived out part of your life, and than be thrown back to when you were still in school. With only scars and memories of your life and having it all seem as if it may not have happened."

"Oh, I know it all happened. I could never have dreamed those things up at 17." She said vehemently.

"Miss Tal–"

He was interrupted by her firm tone, "Kathleene or Kat."

"And you must call me Albus, as you have already. And we will build our friendship again." The headmaster said, eyes twinkling. "Kathleene, how will you precede?"

This was the most important thing that had been said all night. It was the very question that dictated the future of the entire wizarding world. Kat breathed in a deep breath and paused. Her thoughts were whirling. She had fully expected to die. And than to find herself alive and in the position to change all that she had lived through. To be with her friends again, to see them alive. To see Albus alive.

Her thoughts became choppy and so she organized everything she knew. It was both an auror's trick and the tool of a legilmentist, to organize one's mind in the way she did. She sorted all the information of her life along one long path, certain things branching off it into little caves in which she hid information and knowledge. Than she began to add and organize all the information she had gained since she had woken up in the infirmary. She went over the conversation she and Albus had had so far and than suddenly exclaimed as she remembered him saying, "Scars?"

She yanked up one of her shirt's sleeves and sure enough, lay the odd swirling or cutting scars of dark magic that one would tend to collect after fighting against it for years. She preceded to examine her other arm and her stomach and legs. Every single scar she had ever acquired remained. "Well this sucks." She mused aloud, "Get to be 17 but have to keep 18 years worth of scars."

Albus chuckled but conjured a mirror, "You missed one, my dear." He said handing her the mirror. "It was the only one that seemed recent. Poppy couldn't heal it because it was made by dark magic."

"Just like every other scar I have acquired." Kathleene murmured off handedly. She brought the mirror to her face and gasped into it. Not for the scar that drew a line from the corner of her right eye to her jaw. That she had received from Bellatrix just before Sirius's death. No, she gasped because of the still red, lightning bolt like cut that would most certainly scar on her left temple. The place she had placed her wand in her attempted suicide.

"Just like Harry's." She said dazed. It was obvious what she would do. Not because of the scar she would now wear. Not because of the stunning similarity to Harry's scar that had seemingly marked his fate. No, she made her decision based on what her own eyes had seen and the only option she could see in order to prevent what she had saw from happening.

"Albus." He looked up and met her gaze, eyes serious, "I know what I will do." She brought her eyes to his and in them he saw her resolute decision. "I will kill Voldermort." He looked as if he was about to speak, but she continued speaking before he could say a thing. "It has to be me. In order for the things I have seen to not happen, it can only be me. I am the one who was by Harry's side as we tracked down each Horcrux and I am the one who knows the entire story start to finish. I am the only one with the knowledge of how to defeat him."

The headmaster knew her decision was made, and he knew for a fact that she fully understood the task she set for herself. And so he spoke, "I will allow this only because I see no other way. As long as you work with me and the Order, I cannot forbid it. I only warn you of the dangers that you are obviously aware of."

With this she nodded. She knew of the dangers only too well. Suddenly, she was nervous again. Twirling her wand in her left hand, she shifted in her seat. He seemed aware of her discomfort and let her sit a moment, waiting for her to speak what had suddenly come to her mind to make her nervous.

"Albus," She started and than paused a long moment before continuing, "I don't know how it will be to see them again. Alive. What am I supposed to tell them? How am I supposed to act? How–, I don't –" She broke off, her voice nearing hysteria.

"Calm down Kathleene." He offered her another piece of chocolate and waited for her high strung nerves to settle. "I do not know how much you should truly tell Mr Pettigrew, or the rest of the school for that matter. But, as for those you trust and deem appropriate, tell them the truth. It's always easier."

With this she nodded and went still, trying to organize her thoughts again. "We should come up with a general story that people won't ask to many questions on but goes along with the lines of the truth." The headmaster remained silent and allowed her to think it all out.

"We will tell them that I was captured by death eaters. They tried to force me to join Voldermort and for one entire month, I refused. I managed to escape with the help of an unknown benefactor. I was so out of it by the time that I arrived here that I don't really know how I got here."

Dumbledore nodded, "That is good. It would explain the trauma your eyes have seen." He said this in a apologetic voice, but she ignored it, knowing it to be true. "It would also explain the years of scars that cover your body. To the common eye, they appear just scars, and people wouldn't know how old some of those scars truly are."

She smiled. It was a good plan.


	3. Chapter 3

_She smiled. It was a good plan. _

The sounds of footsteps and boys shouting came up the stairs. At this Kat jumped and raised her wand warily.

"I believe that is your friends, Kathleene."

She whirled on the headmaster with a look of utter panic that he chuckled. She glared at him but turned around to face the door just as it burst open.

Remus Lupin, a much younger Remus Lupin, was sprawled on the floor. Behind him stood James Potter with his hair tousled angrily and a laughing Sirius Black. All were young and carefree. Remus was the first to notice the young woman standing in the headmaster's office as their Kathleene. He fell silent as he stared at her. The other two noticed his silence and looked up to see what he was staring at.

They all remained silent for one moment and one moment only. Than, Kathleene threw herself across the room and hugged Sirius furiously.

"Sirius, Sirius–" She gasped, tears pouring down her cheeks. He stood, frozen in shock for a moment, than picked her up and hugged her even tighter than the death grip she held on him.

"Kat!" He exclaimed, followed by the other two's shocked cries of 'What!' and 'How!' Kathleene was siezed up in one giant hug from the three. Tears pouring down her face she sobbed and hid herself in Sirius's shirt.

Slowly, James and Remus broke away, leaving the sobbing girl in Sirius's arms. Sirius crossed the room and eased them both into the chair that Kat had previously occupied. Remus and James sat on either side of them in two chairs that the headmaster had conjured in all the hub bub.

"Explain." All three boys demanded at once looking at the headmaster. They stared at each other for a moment, the silence ringing like before. James ground his teeth angrily. He was confused and worried about Kat, who had stopped sobbing but continued to hide her face in Sirius's shirt. Remus merely looked around, observing everything. He too, was worried about Kat, but after he had gotten over the shock of seeing her, he noted the differences in her appearance, namely the scars. Sirius merely held the once weeping girl and rubbed her back soothingly, worried as hell.

The headmaster remained silent until Kathleene dried her eyes and turned to face him. The look she gave him said: stay-silent-I'll-explain-everything. She rose out of Sirius's lap and went and stood by, coincidentally, Dumbledore's right. James glanced around confused. Remus merely stared. And Sirius kept his eyes only on her.

She stared at the three boys in front of her, not really knowing what to say. The silence drew itself out and the boys exploded.

"Where have you been?"

"What happened to you?"

"Who did it?"

"How are you here?"

"How did you get all those scars?"

The last one was Moony. She grimaced at his question, Remus was always the most observant one.

"Mr Potter, Mr Black, and Mr Lupin, please quiet." The headmaster addressed them calmly but voice ringing with authority. "Let Kathleene explain."


	4. Chapter 4

"_Mr Potter, Mr Black, and Mr Lupin, please quiet." The headmaster addressed them calmly but voice ringing with authority. "Let Kathleene explain."_

The boys all traded looks as if to silently ask each other, 'Did he just call her Kathleene?' They turned their attention back to Kat and waited expectantly.

"Right." She began, twirling her wand in her left hand, "Well, I'm going to tell you the truth. And you must believe me, it is the truth. But it might sound crazy and I don't know if you'll believe me. So–"

She was interupted by Remus's quiet but clear voice, "Just tell us Kat, we promise to listen and believe whatever you say." The other two nodded in agreement.

Kathleene took a breath and began again. "Okay. I lived to the age of 39. I never left Hogwarts. I lived out my life. I became an auror and joined the Order of the Phoenix, an order founded by Dumbledore to fight against Voldermort." The three boys shuddered at his name. "I was an auror for 18 years. I watched the war play out. I saw the innocents die. I saw my friends all **die**." At the last word her voice choked up but she continued.

"A prophecy was made just after James married Lily." At this, James let out a whoop, Kathleene smiled a sad smile in response. "The prophecy stated: _'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have powers the Dark Lord knows not...And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...'_ This prophecy spoke of the son of Lily and James Potter, born at the end of July."

"July is the seventh month." Stated Remus.

"Yes, Harry James Potter was born at the end of July. With this prophecy the Potters were placed in grave danger. They too were member of the Order, along with Sirius and Remus."

"But not Peter?" Questioned James, seemingly surprised. He froze at the tragic look on Kathleene's face.

"No, not Peter. Albus thought it would be best to set up an old charm. A Fidelius Charm. It was a charm that would protect the Potters. As long as the Secret Keeper told no one of the location, than the Dark Lord himself could enter the house and never find them." She looked up darkly, warning them not to interrupt. "As long as the Secret Keeper was loyal, the Potters would remain protected. The original Secret Keeper was Sirius. But since Sirius and James's friendship was widely known Sirius suggested Peter become the Secret Keeper, for they believed no one would ever guess they had trusted Peter in such a way." She took a shuddering breath and continued.

"That was the mistake. Peter, was indeed, a death eater." She ignored the gasps and glares from the room. "As soon as he became the Secret Keeper he ran to his Dark Lord and told him the address." As she looked up they saw tears fill her eyes, she continued in a steady breath, "On October 31st, 1981, Voldermort entered the house. The door was not even locked. They had no idea the Fidelius Charm had been broken. He murdered James first, with the Avada Kavadra. James had told Lily to run, that he would hold him off. He hadn't even had his wand in his hand. Lily ran up the stairs to the nursery. She stood in front of one year old Harry's crib. She begged him not to kill Harry. He told her to move aside. She refused. Again, he cast the Avada Kavadra. Lily fell. He stepped up to the crib. Harry did not cry out at first, probably thinking it merely a game. But as Voldermort drew back his hood, Harry began to wail, not seeing his father. Voldermort pointed the wand at young Harry's head and said the Avada Kavadra."

She glanced around the room, the boys were deathly pale, Albus looked a tad pale as well. "The spell backfired. It would not be known until much later why. But there is some magic, old magic, that is more powerful than any dark magic that Voldermort could ever find. The magic that acted that day was the powerful bond of love." Seeing the disbelief on the boys's face she barked sharply, "Do not doubt it. When Lily willingly put her life before Harry's and died for Harry she cast a powerful charm of the old magic, unknowingly, it was a protection charm. Harry was not killed by the curse because Lily died for him. The curse did, though, touch him. It left him with nothing more than a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead."

"Voldermort was believed dead and Harry became the boy-who-lived. Hero and savior of the wizarding world, ender of the war. However, Harry was raised by Petunia and her husband, for the charm that Lily cast required Harry live with blood relatives for his protection. Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin all despised him. I watched over Harry throughout the years. When he finally went to school, I entrusted his care completely to Albus. Harry, however, attracted dark and dangerous trouble. First year, Voldermort was possessing a teacher at the school. Second year the Chamber of Secrets was opened by Voldermort, this time possessing a young girl. Third year Sirius escaped from Azkaban."

"Oy!" Sirius exclaimed. "What was I doing in Azkaban?"

Kathleene grimaced, "You were framed for the murder of twelve muggles and Peter Pettigrew and were believed to be responsible for the Potters's deaths. You were framed be Peter. You spent twelve years in Azkaban. It took Remus and I twelve years to figure out your innocence. But when the three of us caught Peter, he managed to escape us and your name wouldn't be cleared until after your death."

All fell deathly still and she began again. "So in Harry's third year, Remus was the DADA professor and dementors guarded the school grounds. Harry had several nasty run- in's with dementors and at the end of the year had to help Sirius escape the dementor's kiss." At this Sirius shuddered.

"In Harry's fourth year, Death Eaters attacked at the world cup, there were no deaths. The Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts and there was a death eater at the school, disguised as a professor. He entered Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire as a fourth contestant. Harry was than transported by the trophy which was actually a portkey to a graveyard where Voldermort was waiting with Peter by his side. Peter killed the other Hogwarts boy who had taken the trophy at the same time as Harry. They than preformed a dark ceremony that gave Voldermort a body with 'blood of the enemy,' this being Harry's blood."

"Voldermort summoned his death eaters and a good number appeared. Voldermort and Harry than dueled. Harry managed to get away and return to Hogwarts by the portkey. In Harry's fifth year the ministry refused to acknowledge the return of Voldermort and began the bad mouthing of both Harry and Albus. Also that year there was a large outbreak from Azkaban of Death Eaters that the ministry covered up. A ministry official came to the school to 'properly' teach the students DADA because the ministry believed Albus was trying to create an army from the students to take over the ministry." At this Kathleene snorted but continued.

"Harry and some of his friends formed a group where Harry taught them defensive magic. They named it Dumbledore's Army as a bit of a joke on the ministry. However they were found and Albus was forced to leave the school. Harry's scar connected him to Voldermort and at certain times, he could see things Voldermort was seeing or feel things Voldermort was feeling. This time however, Voldermort used their connection to place the image of him torturing Sirius for information in the Department of Mysteries." Suddenly she jumped and exclaimed, 'oh,' causing the boys who had fallen into her story to jump as well.

"Sirius was Harry's godfather."She explained.

Sirius let off an, "All right!"

But Remus had caught the past tense, based on the tragedy he had already heard he knew there wasn't going to be a happy ending. "Was?" He questioned.

She nodded solemnly. "In Harry's defense, he did try to check before hand, but Kreacher, the house elf, lied. He gathered his friends and they rode to the ministry on thestrals." Kat's face turned dark as she continued. "It was a trap, there were death eaters. By the time Order members had arrived the students had been battling the death eaters for a while. The death eaters wanted the record of the prophecy from the Hall of Prophecies. The prophecy smashed and it became an all out battle between the Order and the Death Eaters. Bellatrix was fighting Sirius. It was she who cast the curse that caused Sirius to fall backwards into the Veil."

Now Kat was shaking visibly, "There was no way I could've prevented it. I was given the task of protecting Harry, but me and Harry both saw Sirius die. Remus was trying to restrain both me and Harry at the same time. Bellatrix was taunting us. We gave chase. Harry tried to cast the cruciatus curse and merely tripped her. I cast it and watched her wither in pain." She bowed her head at this, ashamed.

"Than, Voldermort arrived at the same time as Albus. It was a battle of dark and light and than he possessed Harry."At this, silent tears leaked down her cheeks as she remembered Harry in pain and lying on the ground, struggling to try and regain control of his own body. "Harry succeeded in throwing Voldermort out just as the minister and half of the ministry appeared. He dissaparated and escaped but several of his death eaters were caught."

"In Harry's sixth year, death eater activity began to pick up. With the ministry now knowing that Voldermort was back, there was no real reason for him or his death eaters to hold back. It began the same way as last time, unexplainable deaths and disappearances, unnatural events being reported by the muggles, and the entire wizarding community began to worry, just as before. In this year, Albus began to give history lessons if you will, privately to Harry. In theses lessons they would study a variety of memories, all relating to Voldermort, or Tom Riddle." Seeing the boys's confused expressions she clarified, "Voldermort's true name is Tom Riddle."

They nodded their understanding.

"Albus believed that the Voldermort's past would be the key to his downfall. I was an active member of the Order, when not checking in on Harry, I was keeping track of the comings and goings and marking events. I basically handled the Order and watched, occasionally participating in battles or raids. By now I was no longer working for the ministry. It had gone to the buzzards anyways." She said a slight sneer in her voice at the last note.

"Albus had figured by now that Voldermort had created several horcruxes."

She was than interupted by the general question of, 'Horcruxes?'

"Let me explain." She pleaded, feeling Albus's stare on her, "Horcruxes are a very dark piece of magic. One of the most horrible. When Tom was at school he found a book on them and managed to create one while still at school. He later managed to create six more."

At this the headmaster looked aghast and the boys still confused.

"A horcrux is a piece of dark magic that can, technically, allow a person to live forever. Immortality was a high thing on Tom's list it seems." She stated wryly before continuing. "To create a horcrux, one would have to do an act so vile, so evil, that they would literally split their own soul. The piece of split off soul could than be placed in an object and as long as that object would remain intact, that person could live forever."

She than shuddered, "If you can imagine splitting your soul once, imagine being so corrupt that you would split it seven times. It is truly correct to say that Voldermort was a new level of evil."

"So, in order to split his soul and live forever he murdered?" Remus questioned, looking at her astutely.

"Yes, in fact, Voldermort only murdered when he had some level of power to gain by it. A majority of 'his' murders are actually just the work of his death eaters. The, it is disgusting to say, but, 'common' deaths during his campaign are almost never carried out by himself. He leaves the dirty work to his filthy army of murderers."

Her face hardened and she again pushed forward. "Towards the end of Harry's sixth year, Albus discovered the long time location of a horcrux. It was located in a place Tom Riddle used to exercise power over muggles when he was a child and living in the orphanage. It was a cave, full of old and very dark magic, with a lake in it. There Voldermort had hidden one horcrux. Albus took Harry with him in an attempt to collect the horcrux. They succeeded in getting it, but in getting it, Albus was greatly weakened. When they returned to Hogwarts, they returned to see the Dark Mark hovering over the astronomy tower." At this the boys gasped and she grimaced.

"Earlier that evening, Harry had sensed something might go wrong. He had had his suspicions of a boy who was the son of a known death eater and had felt that he would act that night. He told his friends to gather Dumbledore's Army and be prepared. Harry's feelings had been right. The boy, Draco Malfoy, had managed to sneak death eaters into the castle. A battle began between the death eaters and the students. Order members though, were quick to arrive. Meanwhile, Albus and Harry arrived at astronomy tower by broom. Albus covered Harry in an invisibility cloak," She paused, looking knowingly at the three marauders. "And had frozen him in place. Moments later, while the battle was being carried out below, Draco arrived. He arrived but he seemed unable to preform the killing curse. Other death eaters arrived at the tower and became impatient with the boy's hesitation. Than arrived Severus Snape."

She grimaced at the boys's exclamations. "Hush," She chided sternly, "You do not know his full story."

"We know he's a slimy little snake and death muncher." Muttered James but cut off when Kathleene glared at him.

"Severus preformed the killing curse and Albus fell backwards and out of the tower." She ignored their outraged starts, "It would not be until at least a year later that we understood where Severus's true loyalties lay."

"They lay with you-know-who!" Shouted Sirius, unable to stop himself.

"No." Kathleene stated plainly.

"No! What do you mean? No?" Cried James.

"I mean, Severus's true loyalties lay with Albus and had always lain with Albus."

"I think you need to explain, my dear." The headmaster stated plainly. She sighed.

"At the time of Lily's death Severus was a death eater. But, when he learned of the dark lord's plan to attack the Potters, he tried to sway him otherwise. When this failed, he went to Albus and confessed his misdeed. He wanted to prevent Lily's death and so he warned Albus and became a spy. He told the dark lord that Albus trusted him and thought him a spy but that he was still loyal to the dark lord. In reality, he became loyal only to Albus, especially so after Lily's death."

"Why?" Was Remus's only question.

"Because, since his childhood, Severus has always loved Lily. He loved her enough to stand by and watch her marry James, because she was happy."

Now Sirius was plaintive, "I'm confused."

"No you're Serious." Said James and they all groaned at the bad joke.

"Why would Snivi– Er, Snape, kill Dumbledore than?" Sirius continued, ignoring James.

"Because in the summer between Harry's fifth and sixth year, Albus discovered the location of a horcrux and went after it. However, he unknowingly touched the horcrux and was attacked by a very dark curse Voldermort had set on the object. His entire left arm was attacked by the curse before Severus could help him and stop it. The damage was done. Albus was slowly dying. He arranged to be killed by Severus so that he would not be caught by Bellatrix or like death eaters and tortured to death. He arranged his own death."

She turned to Albus and glared. "I'm still furious with you for not telling anyone, Albus, and if you ever do anything of the like I will find you in whatever afterlife there is and personally hunt you down and kill you again."

The headmaster's eyes twinkled merrily at the astonished looks of the boys and he chuckled, "I assure you, my dear, I plan on doing nothing of the sort."

"You better." Was her only retort.

"Harry's seventh year?" Prodded Remus and she nodded and took up her story telling again.

"Harry didn't go to school in his seventh year. In that year the war became worst than we have ever known it to me. Voldermort and his death eaters infiltrated and took over the ministry of magic. Muggleborns were being rounded up and sent to Azkaban for 'stealing' wands and magic. It was horrible. The disgusting thing that truly represented where the ministry had gone was a giant statue placed in the entrance hall of the ministry. It showed a witch and wizard sitting side my side on two thrones. Only the thrones weren't thrones. They were ugly twisted faces of 'muggles' in their 'true place,' being ruled and crushed by wizards."

At this the boys looked sickened. Dumbledore's face hardened into an unreadable mask and Kathleene bowed her head at the memory before continuing.

"Harry and two of his friends tracked down the horcruxes. Meanwhile, death eaters ruled Hogwarts with Severus as headmaster, muggleborns were not allowed to return to the school. The Cruciatus Curse was used as punishment frequently. It all came down to the Last Battle. In which Harry and his friends managed to get into Hogwarts in order to try and get a horcrux.

Several teachers had remained to look after the students, these teachers helped to set up Hogwarts defense, evacuate the underage students, and take care of the death eaters at the school. The members of the Order were summoned. It was in this Final Battle that so many lives were lost. Children who had remained to fight were killed. Many families lost members. It was in this battle that Remus and his wife were killed, leaving behind a son not even a year old."

Silent tears trickled down her cheeks now as she continued, "Harry knew that the final two horcruxes lay within himself and Voldermort. He willingly gave himself up to destroy the final horcrux and protect everyone within Hogwarts. By doing so the same magical protection that his mother had given him was given to the students, Order members, and teachers."

"Don't tell me he died!" Shouted James, aghast.

"For a moment, everyone believed he had." Said Kat solemnly, "But somehow, Harry was given a choice in an in-between sort of place, either to go forward, into death, or to return. He returned and Voldermort's own spell rebounded on him. Voldermort killed himself, not on purpose, but he did. And that was how it ended." Concluded Kathleene.

"But that is not where your own story ended." Stated the headmaster, noticing the boys were silent, pondering the same thing.

Kathleene wanted to curse Albus than, she really did. She took a steadying breath and spoke distinctly, stress lying behind her words. "After the Final Battle I had nightmares of the battle and old horrors every night. I could not set foot in Hogwarts again. Even for the memorial to those who fought and died." She could feel the shame behind her words. Her cowardice. And now her friends and esteemed mentor would know it too.

"I lived for six months after the Final Battle. I kept contact with barely anyone. Hardly anybody knew where I even was." She shuddered violently, remembering the dead and empty filling that had resided within her.

"Exactly six months after Remus and his wife and all the other innocents and children who had died I visited a grave. I first visited Lily and James, the first to go. Laying flowers and such I trimmed back weeds and tended the graves. I than visited Sirius's empty grave. There had never been a body once he had fallen through the veil." She gripped her arms around the hole in her chest at remembering these things. "Lastly I went to Remus's and his wife's grave. While sitting on that grave I finally broke. It was than that I decided there was no God."

The boys gasped and the headmaster watched her worriedly. She had always been a devout Christian, despite the heat she received from her pureblood family for it and the teasing and fights she had gotten into in school because of it.

"I drew my wand–"

"Oh no!" Gasped James, seeming to forget she was standing in front of him to tell the tale.

"And preformed the Avada Kavadra on myself, right here." She finished drawing a finger from her left hand across her temple and letting it rest on the lightning bolt cut for a moment before letting it fall to her side.


	5. Chapter 5

"_And preformed the Avada Kavadra on myself, right here." She finished drawing a finger from her left hand across her temple and letting it rest on the lightning bolt cut for a moment before letting it fall to her side._

Very gently, all three boys came up and embraced her in a hug.

"You will never, ever, do that." Whispered Sirius furiously in her ear.

"Don't ever think about it." Said Remus.

"No matter what." James said finally.

She sighed happily into the arms of all three boys. "I couldn't now." She said, but as she said that she met the eyes of the headmaster who looked on her knowingly. Only Remus caught the small exchange and filed it away for later.

"Now," She said in a business-like voice, "As far as I know Peter," She ignored the grinding of teeth, "Is not yet a death eater. You are not to treat him any different." She again ignored their protests. "I will try to do everything I can to get him off the path he is now on. Should he indeed become a death eater, I, and I alone, will take care of it."

She met their eyes silently holding their gazes until they looked away and nodded.

"Good." She exclaimed.

"Two more things. Sirius," She addressed him directly, "Your brother, Regulus, while being blind and too young to see what he is really surrounded with is not a bad person in the end. He has grown up trying to impress your parents and has simply followed their example, none of it is really his fault."

Sirius snorted and was surprised by the angry glare she sent his way.

"He is your brother Sirius. And despite you hating the pureblood mania, you still love him and would never wish harm onto him." At this Sirius lowered his head and looked at her, listening to what she had to say. "Sirius, if you do not help your brother he **will **become a death eater and he **will** **die**."

At this all boys looked shocked. "Regulus becomes a death eater over the coming summer. Your parents," She says addressing Sirius again, "Are so very proud of their son. But he does not realize what he is getting into. When Voldermort required the services of a loyal house elf, Regulus volunteered Kreacher. It was supposedly an honor. He gave Kreacher the instructions to do whatever the Dark Lord required and than return home. When Kreacher went with Voldermort he was taken to a cave beside the sea. Beyond the cave was a cavern and in this cavern was a great lake. Voldermort and Kreacher crossed the lake in a boat to an island in the center of the lake. On the island was a basin full of potion that could only be emptied by being drank. Voldermort forced Kreacher to drink the disgusting potion that made him see terrible things. Than he dropped a locket in the basin and refilled the potion, leaving Kreacher behind on the island."

"Kreacher became thirsty and went to the edge of the lake in desperation for water. The lake was full of inferi. The bodies grabbed Kreacher and pulled him under. Apparating is impossible in this cavern. The only reason Kreacher survived was because elf magic is different than wizard magic. He was able to dissaparate back home because of his order's to do so." Now Kathleene took a steadying breath before continuing. "Regulus than realized the truth of his Dark Lord. He became worried and began plotting. He didn't full understand what had happened but he knew enough to know that whatever the locket was, it was dangerous."

"Merlin!" Sirius gasped, fully realizing what his brother was about to do.

"Regulus first ordered Kreacher to stay hidden and not leave the house. A small while later Regulus went to Kreacher's cupboard and asked Kreacher to take him to the cave that the Dark Lord had brought him to. Kreacher showed him how to enter the secret cavern and how to bring up the boat." Now the other two boys were catching on and both shared equal looks of coming horror. Dumbledore looked perturbed and was focusing in closely on Kathleene.

"Once on the island Regulus removed a locket identical to the one Voldermort had placed in the basin earlier." By now everyone looked sick to their stomachs and Sirius's face had hardened into an unmoving mask. "He ordered Kreacher to take the necklace and when the basin was empty to switch the lockets. He ordered Kreacher to leave without him and go home and destroy the original locket. Kreacher was than held by his orders and forced to watch as Regulus drank the potion and was tortured by the images it brought before him. Regulus was than weak and tried to get water from the edge of the lake. Kreacher was forced to watch as the inferi dragged Regulus beneath the water and disapparate back home. He tried everything to destroy the locket but nothing worked. And so Kreacher failed his master's last order."

Kathleene watched a single tear trace its way down Sirius's cheek. She smoothed it away with a gentle movement of her hand. "You can change this Sirius. You're brother is good and loves you. He is only misguided and needs your love and acceptance."

He nodded and looked away, realizing he had been crying and feeling embarrassed.

Kathleene turned brisk and commanding once again, "Second order of business. You **will** leave Severus Snape alone."

"Snivil–" James shouted startled but jumped even more when Kathleene rounded on him.

Slap.

"Say it again James Potter and I will personally rip your tongue from your mouth and hex you into oblivion." She glared furiously, "That goes for all three of you. I don't care about boyhood jealousies and childish games. You are adults now. Start acting like it."

"James." She addressed him, "You were jealous of Severus from the moment you saw him talking with Lily Evans. Undeserving. You thought him. But what made you any more deserving of her friendship? That dislike and jealousy deepened when you were sorted into enemy houses. Now you let your preconceived notions on those of Slytherin house get in your way. You deemed him dark and hated him before you even officially met him."

"Sirius." She now addressed him, "You went along with your friends beliefs, partly because he was your friend. I understand loyalty to friends Sirius, but that should not let you lead yourself blindly and forbid you to see when you are doing something wrong. But that was not the only reason you followed James in his attack on Severus. You hated all things dark. Understandable after living with your parents and having to deal with their pureblood mania. You deemed Severus dark based on the house he was put in. You hated him because you deemed him dark and therefore his darkness reminded you of your parents."

"Remus," She addressed him and he looked up both ruefully and warily, "You never attacked Severus personally but you never stopped your friends either." She noticed the look he gave her and addressed it, "Oh you would tell them it was wrong and give a pointed stare or silence but you did not act. A person that just watches something happen and does not act is as much at fault as the person who commits the wrongdoing in the first place." He nodded, thinking on her words.

"Boys," She finally addressed all three, "A persons name cannot determine someone being dark or light. Say you knew of a dark member years ago whose name was Jonathan. You have now just met Jonathan, he isn't the same Jonathan that you met before, but that is still the name he carries. Do you deem him dark on knowing his name? Of course not. It is unfair. The same goes for any person or house. There may have been a dark Slytherin in the past but that does not make every Slytherin dark. To judge so would be unfair."

"But for you to better comprehend you need to understand Severus," She sighs, "Severus was the first person to tell Lily that she was a witch. He grew up in a terrible home. His mother was a pure blood. His father was a muggle. They faught constantly. One day, Severus's mother dissapeared and he was left with his muggle father who hated his 'freakiness' or magic and was determined to beat it out of him. Lily was his only friend. He knew she was an amazing person. He fell in love with her. He knew he could never be more to her than a friend so he accepted her friendship and cherished it."

"Phah!" James exclaimed disbelievingly. Kathleene glared at him but he defended himself, "If he cherished it so much than he would've never said that–" He broke off but continued, "–Thing to her!"

Kathleene shook her head. "At the school they went to they were sorted into separate houses. Enemy houses. But Lily and him continued their friendship in secret. However, there was a group of boys who didn't like their friendship. Didn't see him worthy of speaking to her." At this Remus lowered his head into his hands. "One day, this group humiliated him in front of a large group of people. Imagine this boy and how he feels. He has been tormented for a long time by them. He is now humiliated in public, none of his house mates come to his defense. They watch and even laugh at him. He is already hated by his own father and beaten and malnourished at home. He is tormented at school. What thoughts could possibly be running through his head as he is surrounded by his classmates laughing? He is defended by a girl. Sure she's his best friend. But she is still a girl and by her defending him she is saying that he can't defend himself. His pride is wounded. He is angry. He is humiliated. He says one word in anger. One word that he will regret the rest of his life."

"Do not tell me boys that you have never said something in anger. Something you wish after you say it that you can take back." She paused, letting her message sink in.

"I am not asking you to become best friends with the boy. But by your constant torment and demeaning way of treatment to him you are driving him down a path I wouldn't wish on anyone. With each word and action against him you drive him deeper into the dark that you so hate."

She rubbed her temples and looked as if she had grown ancient with these words said. "I wasn't planning on saying this yet but I feel that now is the time for me to tell you." She looked hesitant for the first time in the entire discussion. "I am a grey witch."

Albus looked at her sharply. Remus thought for a bit and than seemed to realize the definition and looked up at her in shock. James and Sirius simply looked confused.

"When were you planning on telling me this? Kathleene?" Albus asked, looking over his spectacles at her seriously.

"I'm sorry Albus. I was truly planning on telling you. I just didn't think I should dump everything on you in one sitting. I wanted to do it gently." She said looking truly apologetic. "I also didn't know how you would react in this time. The circumstances in which I would've told you in the future were quite a bit different." She said this part quietly.

His face softened. "I understand my dear, but in the future don't withhold information for the sake of my nerves.

She nodded sharply and turned back to the boys to see Remus watching her softly and James and Sirius still in their states of confusion.

She held back a sigh, _they would've found out soon enough anyways,_ She thought. "A grey witch is a just witch with morals who is able to make choices that most can't make. She uses both light and dark magic. She sees nothing as being light or dark. Only various shades of grey. But she is not dark because she retains her morals that allow her to make choices that say, a light witch, would not be able to make."

James and Sirius both looked shocked but looked to Remus when he spoke, "They are very rare. There have only been two wizards and one witch in the last century that were recorded. They normally walk a very fine line and fall to one side or the other. There is only one wizard ever who ever remained grey his entire lifetime. That was Merlin."

James remained silent and everyone in the office was surprised by Sirius asking the first question, "What do you mean by making choices others can't?"

She met his eyes carefully, "Albus is commonly seen as the Lord of the Light in the war against Voldermort." She ignored the boys shudders, "But, as Lord of the Light he does not agree with killing. He would much rather defeat his opponent and leave him to the government to imprison. But by doing this he runs the risk of his enemies living and escaping to come back again with both more anger and more power. More than that. He runs the risk of them escaping to kill and torture innocents."

They looked at her wide eyed. Remus spoke. "Could you explain your innocents code?"

She snorted, "Innocents code?" But waved away his attempt to speak, "I understand what you mean Moony. I just have never heard it phrased quite that way." She said with a wry smirk, but turned serious, "As a grey witch, if I determine someone an innocent I **cannot** allow them to be hurt in any way by me. If someone were to hurt an innocent in any way I would act against that person and feel no regret. I would punish that person with no feelings of regret and punish them with a punishment equal their crime."

"I have no problem with interrogations and being persuasive if I deem that person as not being innocent. I am a master manipulator. I know what each action and word to use to play mind games with my prey. I learned this as an auror. But as a grey witch I cannot allow myself to use such manipulations against those I deem innocent."

The headmaster now spoke, "Indeed. In fact there are laws regarding such grey witches and wizards. They are so rare though that they are rarely called into effect. I only know of them because I serve as head of the Wizamgot. If a grey witch were to kill someone because she deemed it justice she could not be charged with murder if I deemed her of having morals. You boys will never be able to sway Kathleene's views. As a grey witch, in her mind she is not committing murder, she is upholding justice and protecting innocents."

She nodded gratefully at him.

"Okay." Sirius, stated nodding. He saw her eyes widen in disbelief and laughed. "You truly thought we'd leave you Kat just because you want to protect innocents and can see different values in magic?" He asked more in amusement than shock.

He smiled and hugged her, "Were your friends Kat, were not going to leave you over something so little." She saw both James and Remus nodded and smiled happily.

"So were to treat Peter the same in the hope that he won't become a death eater. Sirius is supposed to reconnect with his brother. And were to leave Sni–, I mean Snape alone." James stated in his normal cocky, relaxed matter.

"Sums it up." Responded Kat still smiling. She squeaked in protest as Sirius swung her over his shoulder. James was standing now too and gave a lazy salute to the headmaster.

"With all respect sir," He drawled arrogantly but smiling at the sight of Kat over Padfoot's shoulder like a bag of potatoes, "Were going on the grounds in the fresh air and out of this office."

The headmaster's eyes twinkled and he nodded. Remus rose to leave with the others.

"I'll stop by tomorrow after dinner to further discuss things Albus!" She called, resigning herself to being carried by Sirius. She had propped herself up slightly with her elbow against his back, knowing she didn't have the strength to walk on her own anyways.


	6. Preview

Kathleene lay back lazily on the couch in the Gryphindor common room, her head laying in Sirius's lap as he gently played with her hair. Her eyes were half closed and she smiled as she listened to James try to debate with Remus over a new prank while Remus tried to do his homework. Peter sat crisscrossed on the floor next to the coffee table with his eyes darting back and forth between James and Remus as if watching a tennis match.

"It'll be funny Moony! Brilliant even! Can you imagine if everybody walked into the Great Hall and there was an actual roof above their heads! They'd stand there gaping like idiots!" James wheedled charmingly.

Remus snorted and spared James a glance from his Transfiguration book. "The ceiling of the Great Hall is an immensely complex and ancient piece of charms that cannot be simply turned off James. More so, if you, by some miracle, managed to disable the charms that held it up we would be left with a plain roof permanently because the spell or ritual used to create such a powerful charm has since been long lost." Remus gave a slight sneer which passed as a superb imitation of Snape and turned back to his homework.

Kat gave a light laugh at Prongs's face as a combination of outrage, disappointment, and horror at seeing Snape's characteristic sneer flash across Remus's face. Her eyes darted to Peter to see him wince and rub his left forearm gently. She kept her body relaxed and let her magic sense the rest of the common room. No one was in it besides her and the Marauders. Very carefully she withdrew her wand and felt Sirius still at her movements. She gave him a light shake of her head and she felt his body relax but she could feel the muscles in his legs that were still tensed.

'Stubefy.' She thought silently, the spell that she had created that allowed only her to evenerate a stunned enemy. Red light flashed and hit her target directly, causing him to fall backward. The other three boys froze and regarded their companion with horror. "Remus," She ordered, "Roll up his left sleeve."

Remus stood and walked forward and with trembling hands pushed the sleeve up to display the horrible mark burned into his arm. She stood and watched as James faced turned into a cold stone mask, to be mirrored by both Sirius and herself. She looked from Sirius to Remus's shaking form and he got her hint.

"Come on Moony, lets get you a glass of water." He gently raised his friend and lead him up the stairs to their dormitory.

"James." She ordered swiftly, "Stand guard. Cover him with your invisibility cloak and don't let anyone get near enough to stumble over him. He is stunned with my personal stunner and only I can awake him."

She summoned Pettigrew's wand and stood and watched for a moment as James took out his cloak and tossed it over Pettigrew's prone form. James held his own wand in his hand and he sat on the couch, looking about grimly.

She moved quickly and silently to her dorm room. Her dorm mates were already asleep and she quickly placed her hand over the opening mechanism on her trunk. Once it had opened she summoned her manacles that were left to her by one of her ancestors. Trunk shut, she moved stealthily back to the common room to see James standing guard. He removed the invisibility cloak the second she returned and backed out of her way. He recognized her movement and voice, he had seen it before in his father and in some of his father's companions. This was the movement of an auror and this was the voice that demanded orders be followed. Her face was as stony as the hardest of aurors as he watched her attach a set of manacles to his arms behind his back and a set to his ankles, that even if he was awake, he would be hard pressed to try to waddle his way away.

He looked up to see a noticeably less shaken Remus return with Sirius from down the stairs. They all watched as Kathleene silently levitated the unconscious figure of Pettigrew before her. "You will all have to come with me as witnesses. I would have your forearms already bared to set them at ease." She stated as an order. They wordlessly rolled up their sleeves, noticing she had already done the same.

They crossed the school with ease and it was somewhat concerning that never once did they run into a prefect or teacher. Of course it was the weekend and most teachers tended to skip weekend night shifts, but still, it was worrying.

They reached the statue of an eagle and Kathleene looked at Remus until his eyes widened and he cleared his throat, "Blood Pops." He stated clearly and a staircase was revealed and begun to turn.

Once they reached the solid wooden door at the top, Kathleene raised her hand and gave three resounding knocks and waited.

"Come in." The voice of the headmaster called.

His eyes widened than dimmed at the sight before him. "It has come to pass than." He sighed silently and she nodded stiffly.

"Albus, you will need to call in at least two aurors for the interrogation to stand as witness. Tell them to bring Veritresum and that they will be in the presence of the Head of House Talismi." He nodded and rose, crossing the room quickly to disappear through the fireplace.

When he reappeared he quickly conjured a chair as seen in trials at the ministry from the court rooms that were as far down in the ministry as you could possibly go. He nodded as Kathleene guided the chained Peter to the chair and with a flick of her wand the chains quickly attached themselves to the chair and would need her to remove them.

She turned sharply as the fireplace flared into life again. Striding out quickly were three Aurors. She recognized them by sight. Auror Potter. James's father. Auror McKinnon. He she knew only by face and name, a auror on the forefront, if she recalled right, he had died in an attack on Hogsmeade. Finally, Auror Moody. Current Head of the Auror Department. She had known him, trained under him, worked side by side with him on his team until he was forced into retirement. He was younger now, he already had a chunk missing from his nose and his magical glass eye but he still had both feet and still used his wand. He took in the scene at a glance, eying the bound and unconscious Peter warily.

"Albus, these are the aurors we are expecting?" She questioned sharply, her wand already trained on them and eyes never leaving them.

"Yes Lady Talismi. I spoke with them myself." Albus responded commandingly.

"Kathleene, Albus, Kathleene." She reprooved but lowered her wand.

"Very good, Lady Talismi, constant viligence." Moody said in a gruff voice, no where near the paranoia she had seen in his later years.

She noticed Auror Potter's eyes kept flickering to the figure of James who sat in a chair on the edge of the room, staring forward at nothing. She let her gaze linger on the forms of her three friends. Remus sat in a chair to the left of James, head buried in his hands. Sirius stood just to the right of James, hands clasped behind his back, jaw strong and eyes flashing.

Inwardly she sighed, she had so wished to protect them, at least for a small while. She turned on the aurors, "What have you been informed?" She spoke out sharply.

The two under aurors looked to their boss who was eying her calculatingly, it was Moody who addressed her, "Albus informed us that a small group of aurors were required at the school as a group, including Lady Talismi, had discovered a death eater among the students. He informed us to bring veritresum and informed us we would be acting as ministry witnesses and should the laws be called into play that we would be allowed to act accordingly." He growled at her.

She sent him a sharp look which he pinned with a glare from his magical eye alone and watched as she gave him a wolfish smile. "Give me the veristresum." She stated plainly, wolfish grin still in place.

"Why you?" Barked out McKinnon. He caught her eye and immediately added, "My Lady."

She gave a gentle smirk but quoted icily, "'By my birth, my title, and my right I enact the Treaty of Camlan of 527 Anno Domino. 'By my right of birth, as the son of his Majesty, King Uther Pendragon, and by my titles of The One Royal Majesty, Dux Bellorum, King Arthur Pendragon of all of Briton, Wielder of Excalibar, Knight of the Round Table. And by my right as the chosen of Briton's People and the chosen of Merlin, I hereby set forth the Rights of the Noble.'" She gave a wicked sneer at the eyes on her and set forth explanation. "Why me? You ask. By my right as set forth by his Majesty King Arthur Pendragon under the guidance of the Great Councilor and Mage Merlin under The Treaty of Camlan further under the Rights of Noble. As heir to Mage Lord Merlin and head of the Most Ancient of all Magic Families it is my right, as the Ancient Laws that formed our nation are still seen in affect today. For further explanation if that does not satisfy you Auror McKinnon, it is I who captured Pettigrew and my bonds which hold him. It was he who put danger to my Noble House and so it is I who will be conducting the interrogation. Furthermore," Her powerful magic was now sizzling in the air and she was quite vindictive in her glee to see the auror before her pale, "It is as your superior stated not moments earlier that you are here to act as ministry witnesses." She sneered. "Anything further Auror McKinnon?"

Cold anger left her resigned as she watched the auror forced his pursed lips apart to respond with quiet articulation of, "No, my Lady."

"Very well, veritresum Aurors?" She questioned, holding out her hand. Without a sound, Auror Potter proffered the veritresum from a pocket within his cloak and placed it in her hand. Quickly she strode forward and administered three drops of the clear liquid into the mouth of Pettigrew. She stepped back and directed her wand at his form and thought, 'evenerate.' Immediately Pettigrew jerked into wakefulness and begin to struggle frantically against his bonds. Inside her heart broke as she viewed her young once-friend panicking, outwardly she displayed only her cold mask.

"Stop." She commanded, voice ringing, and at once Peter stilled. "State your name."

"Peter Oswald Pettigrew." He said in a dead voice, finally under the influence of the potion. His eyes were now glassy and dull and his face grew slack.

"What year of Hogwarts are you in?"

"Seventh."

"Are you a deatheater?"

"Yes."

"Are you loyal to the Dark Lord Voldermort?"

"Yes."

"How long have you been a deatheater?"

"Since October."

"How long have you been meeting with deatheaters?"

"Since fifth year."

"When did you first meet the Dark Lord Voldermort?"

"Winter break, sixth year."

"What did you have to do to become a deatheater?"

"Torture and kill a randomly assigned family of muggles."

Now a wave of sickness rolled over her but she was careful to let no such thing show. She glanced about the room quickly. Both Remus and the Auror McKinnion looked physically ill. James looked both angry and heartbroken. It was Sirius, along with the other two aurors, and the headmaster, who had set his face in a stone mask.

"How did you carry out your assignment to become a deatheater?"

"I imperioed the father to unlock the door and bring me into the house. I than imperioed the mother to bring down the two children into the living room and gathered them there. I cruciated the entire family in turns and peificus tortalased them when they were not being held under the cruciatus. I than Avada Kevadrad the children and had the father slit the throats of the children and than his wife, and than I had him slit his own throat."

The interrogation was interrupted by Remus getting ill into a bucket conjured by Albus. Once he had finished, Albus vanished the mess and smell and she continued with the line of questioning.

"What was the name of the muggle family?"

"I don't know."

"What gender were the children?

"One boy, one girl."

"How old did the boy look?"

"Two."

"How old did the girl look?"

"Four."

"What missions have you been assigned as a deatheater?"

"Assassination and spying."

"Who did you assassinate?"

"Eleanor Bones."

"Who have you been spying on?"

"Teachers and students."

"Who were you told to focus on?"

"Albus Dumbledore. Horus Slughorn. Minerva McGonagall. Filius Flitwick. James Potter. Sirius Black. Remus Lupin. Lily Evans. Severus Snape. Rabastan LeStrange. Narcissa Black. Regulus Black. Allen McDorag."

"How do you spy on them?"

"In my rat form."

"When did you become an animagus?"

"Fifth year."

"Who helped you to become an animagus?"

"Deatheater."

"Which deatheater helped you to become an animagus?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Where are deatheater hideouts and meeting places located?"

"Dungeons, Hogwarts. Borgin and Burkes, Knockturn Alley. Riddle House, Little Hangleton. Unknown Graveyard, Romania."

"What are the names of any deatheaters you know?"

"Lucius Malfoy. Rodolphus LeStrange. Bellatrix LeStrange Bartimus Crouch Junior. Crabbe Senior. Crabbe Junior. Nott Senior. Nott Junior."

"Who at Hogwarts is the Dark Lord Voldermort interested in recruiting?"

"Horus Slughorn. Severus Snape. Narcissa Black. Sirius Black. Regulus Black. Remus Lupin. James Potter. Allen MacDorag."

"How does the Dark Lord Voldermort contact you?"

"Through a summons on my dark mark or through messages passed on through fellow deatheaters."

"How do you attend meetings?"

"I go past the boundaries of Hogwarts and use my portkey."

"What is your portkey?"

"My darkmark."

"What is the word used to go to the place summoned?"

"Nagini."

"What is the word used to return?"

"Nagina."

"What is the Dark Lord Voldermort currently planning?"

"An attack on Hogsmeade."

"When is the attack on Hogsmeade to be?"

"Valentine's weekend."

"What is the Dark Lord Voldermort using to attack Hogsmeade?"

"Deatheaters. Vampires. Inferi."

"Will the Dark Lord Voldermort be at the attack on Hogsmeade?"

"He plans on making an appearance at the beginning and the end of the attack."

Now Kathleene stepped back, looking much worn from the interrogation, "Any questions?" She asked the aurors. Moody shook his head and she turned and cast a silent 'stupefy' upon Peter, making him instantly slump.

She gave a heavy sigh and a single tear tracked down her cheek. She quickly took her wand and copied the memory of the capture and interrogation, placing it in a unbreakable phial that was handed to her by Auror Moody. Auror Potter was going over the process with the three boys at the same time.

"You're a strong woman, Lady Talismi." Moody murmured to her in his gruff voice.

"Kathleene or Kat, please, Auror Moody." She responded tiredly, rubbing her temples.

"Call me Alastor." He responded. "Lady Kathleene, I would like to meet with you at some point in a non-business setting."

She actually gave a wry smile but responded, "Aren't I a bit young for a man of your age, Alastor." To her surprise a faint pink colored the cheeks of the grizzled auror and he growled at her.

"Not what I meant, Lady Kathleene, and you know it." He snarled lightly at seeing her slight smirk, "I just would like to talk with you concerning the way you handled the situation and your talents in the field."

She gave a soft smile, "I understand Alastor. After this is all over, trial included, feel free to send me an owl." She grimaced as she saw McKinnon removing Pettigrew from the chair. "Those chains prevent animagus transformation and are also property of the Noble Family Talismi and when their use is over I want them back, undamaged." She commanded sharply.

McKinnon jumped and actually looked at her warily before responding, "Of course, Lady Talismi, your property will be well taken care of and returned to you the moment its use is not required. The Ministry thanks you for your contributions and the capture of this deatheater." He finished, bowing lowly, before returning to his task.

Moody growled and muttered, "He's a pompous arse but he shows talent and 'normally' knows how to follow orders."

She nodded but her attention was now turned to her friends. James sat in a corner conversing in low tones with his father. Remus sat shaking in his chair, head in hands. And Sirius stood ram-rod strait staring emotionlessly at the form of Peter being handled by the Auror McKinnon. Kathleene rose, with a small, "If you'll excuse me," to Alastor, and crossed the room to take the chair next to Remus and place her hand on his back.

"Potter." Barked Alastor and Auror Potter shot him a glare but pulled his son into a brief embrace before returning to in front of the fireplace to escort McKinnon and Pettigrew to Azkaban.

Alastor walked over to Lady Talismi and gave a courtly bow, ignoring the looks of both the aurors and teenage boys he spoke, "Lady Kathleene Talismi, we are much in your debt for both your service and prompt action. Assuming you wish an immediate trial, I would recommend that you use your contacts within the higher ups at the Ministry to speed things along."

She gave him a tired smile, "Thank you Auror Alastor Moody. I assure you I will be in contact." He nodded, turned, and strode straight into the fire calling out his destination as he did so. Aurors Potter and McKinnon followed with Pettigrew's body between them.

Albus looked at them over his spectacles, for once looking his incredible age. He sighed heavily before speaking, "I assume, Kathleene, that you will arrange to have a trial within the next week."

"Hopefully within the next two days, Albus." She responded. "I believe it would be best for us to have our own quarters until the trial takes place and this hits the media. Our schoolwork, of course, should be brought to us."

The headmaster gave her a grim smile, "Very wise, my dear, I shall have it arranged. Mopsy!" He called, "Remove the belongings of Misters Potter, Black, and Lupin, and of Lady Talismi, and have them placed in the guest quarters suite behind the portrait of Mary in the North Wing. Remove the belongings of Mr. Pettigrew and have them brought to my office."

"Of course Headmaster Dumbley sir, Mopsy is happy to be of service to the Headmaster and the Lady Talismi and friends of the Lady Talismi." The small creature said and with a short curtsy, disappeared.

"Bibi!" The headmaster called out and continued his string of instruction at the appearance of the male houseelf, "Please lead the Lady Talismi and her three friends to the quarters located behind the portrait of Mary in the North Wing. The password is 'Buttercup.'"

The houseelf bowed and squeaked, "If you'll follow me Lady, and young sirs."

Single-filed, the four made their way out of the office slowly. James put his arm around Remus's shoulders and began to murmur into his ear as Sirius wrapped his arm around Kathleene's waist and held her crushingly close to his side. She didn't protest, and if anything, pulled herself closer to him.


End file.
